Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Friday 26 November 1999

Scottish Executive

Air Accident

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2120 on 8 November 1999 by Lord Hardie, when the Crown Office obtained a full account of the litigation by the Ministry of Defence against the manufacturers of the Chinook FADEC system.

Lord Hardie: This matter came to the attention of the Crown Office on 30 December 1997. That same day a letter was sent to the Ministry of Defence asking for full information. That information was received on 17 March 1998.

Air Accident

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2120 on 8 November 1999 by Lord Hardie, whether the information concerning the litigation by the Ministry of Defence against the manufacturers of the Chinook FADEC system was made available to the legal agents for the families of the victims of the crash of ZD576 RAF Chinook on the Mull of Kintyre and, if so, when.

Lord Hardie: Yes. The information was received by Crown Office on 17 March 1998, considered carefully against the evidence led at the Fatal Accident Inquiry and the Determination and then passed on to the solicitors by letter dated 23 April 1998.

Air Accident

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2120 on 8 November 1999 by Lord Hardie, what the nature was of the settlement between the Ministry of Defence and the manufacturers of the Chinook FADEC system and whether there was an implied or explicit admission of liability in relation to the system.

Lord Hardie: The details and basis of the settlement in question are a matter for the Ministry of Defence.

Childcare

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number and the average pay scales of childcare workers employed in Scotland are, broken down by (a) gender, (b) sector (private, public, non profit making, self employed) and (c) part-time/full-time employment for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Peter Peacock: This information is not currently collected centrally. We are commissioning a workforce survey which will report on key aspects of the childcare workforce around late spring 2000.

Employment

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are employed in total in Scottish call centres; what the average wage is of such employees; what is the trade union density in this sector, and whether there is any monitoring of the conditions experienced by call centre staff.

Henry McLeish: There are more than 170 call centres in Scotland. Latest figures show there are currently around 28,500 jobs in these call centres. Information on earnings, and on union representation in call centres is not collected centrally.

Environment

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of all plans regarding reductions in radioactive discharges in Scotland which were submitted to the Oslo Paris Convention on Marine Pollution in the North East Atlantic (OSPAR) International Group chaired by France prior to 15 September 1999, highlighting in particular all matters pertaining to Scottish nuclear installations.

Sarah Boyack: A report setting out the UK’s intentions for action to implement the OSPAR Strategy on radioactive substances was submitted to the OSPAR Secretariat on 25 October 1999. A copy of that report has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Public Information Centre (SPICe).

  A UK strategy for radioactive discharges is being developed to cover the period 2001-20. This will include plans for discharge reductions and will be subject to public consultation.

Finance

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the areas of Scotland which will be eligible for Objective 2 European Structural Funding.

Mr Jack McConnell: It is not yet possible to confirm Objective 2 eligible areas. The recent announcement related to proposals to the European Commission from the UK Government. The Commission will now consider the proposals before designating eligible areas. Areas previously covered by Objective 2 and 5b and not designated under full Objective 2 coverage will be eligible for transition funding.

  A detailed list of the proposals for full Objective 2 status as they affect Scotland is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Food

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has had with Her Majesty's Government over the current ban on beef exports to France.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has had with the French Government over the current ban on beef exports to France.

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on removing the French ban on Scottish beef.

Ross Finnie: Following discussions in Brussels, which involved the European Commission, French Government and UK Government, including Scottish Executive representatives, a document has been prepared which enables the French Government to reconsider its original decision not to allow DBES beef into France. I understand that the French Food Safety Agency will consider this matter shortly.

  The Executive has arranged for copies of the Commission document to be available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Foster Care

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide the best available information on the numbers of foster parents who have given up fostering in each of the last three years and the reasons for their decisions.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Information concerning the number of foster carers who have ceased fostering over the last three years and the reasons for their decision is not held centrally.

  However, findings from a two-stage study on foster care in Scotland funded by Government over 1996 and 1997 noted that 155 carers (7% of all carers) ceased fostering in the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1997. Almost 60% of those who left did so because of dissatisfaction with some aspect of the fostering services. For those who were dissatisfied, the decision was a combination of four main interacting factors: past history of unresponsiveness and unavailability of social work support; the child being more difficult than expected; unresponsiveness of social workers to requests for help and support during a recent crisis; and impact of fostering on own family. The rest left for other reasons including retirement, illness or moving house.

  New carers recruited during the same period exceeded losses by 6%.

  Copies of the research report Fostering Good Relations: A Study of Foster Care and Foster Carers in Scotland are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to safeguard the sexual health of young men and women in Scotland aged 18 years or under.

Susan Deacon: Sexual health, including the reduction of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, is a priority for the Scottish Executive. The White Paper Towards a Healthier Scotland emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach, which placed sexual values and relationships within a legal and ethical framework. The demonstration project "Healthy Respect", being funded by the Executive, will therefore develop best practice in the promotion of sexual health and the prevention of unwanted teenage pregnancies.

  An expert working group is reviewing the current HIV prevention strategy in the light of epidemiological trends. The Health Education Board for Scotland, too, has sexual health as a prominent aspect of its work.

  Schools have a crucial role to play, and tackle sex education within a comprehensive programme of health and social education. Funding is being provided by the Executive to enable the voluntary sector’s expertise to be made available to many more schools in Scotland and so promote a more informed and responsible approach to sexual matters on the part of young people.

Health

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the water supply at Bracara does not pose any health risk to consumers.

Sarah Boyack: I am satisfied that the water supply at Bracara does not pose any health risk to consumers. The treatment necessary to protect public health has however resulted in some taste problems. The long-term solution to this is investment to improve the treatment works, in line with our programme for Government commitment.

Health

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of the premature deaths in Scotland in each of the last five years to date related to each of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, heroin, ecstasy and cocaine.

Susan Deacon: It is not possible to give precise figures on premature deaths resulting from tobacco use. However, it is estimated that each year more than 13,000 people in Scotland die from smoking-related diseases, including lung cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke. The information available on the other substances is given in the table.

  


Deaths aged under 
  65 from selected causes, Scotland, 1994-1998 







1994 


1995 


1996 


1997 


1998 




Alcohol related diseases 1


428 
  

495 
  

610 
  

663 
  

738 
  



Drug-related deaths involving 
  2, 3


 


 


 


 


 




 - cannabis 
  

0 
  

6 
  

3 
  

7 
  

8 
  



 - amphetamines 
  

3 
  

3 
  

5 
  

5 
  

7 
  



 - heroin (incl. morphine) 
  

52 
  

75 
  

78 
  

71 
  

114 
  



 - ecstasy 
  

4 
  

3 
  

7 
  

2 
  

3 
  



 - cocaine 
  

2 
  

3 
  

3 
  

4 
  

4 
  



  Notes

  

The figures for alcohol related deaths 
  cover deaths certified as due to the following causes (the relevant 
  codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, 
  are given in brackets): alcoholic psychoses (ICD9 291), alcohol 
  dependence syndrome (ICD9 303), non-dependent abuse of alcohol (ICD9 
  305.0), alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ICD9 425.5) and chronic liver 
  disease and cirrhosis with a mention of alcohol (ICD9 571.0 – 571.3).


When a number of drugs are identified 
  in a body it is not always possible to tell which of them made the 
  major contribution to death. The information on drugs corresponds 
  to the number of deaths where the substances were mentioned on the 
  death certificate or were identified following investigation. This 
  will lead to some double, or multiple, counting. For example, where 
  heroin and cannabis were involved each will be counted in the table, 
  once for heroin and once for cannabis.


The figures for heroin include morphine. 
  It is believed that for the overwhelming majority of cases where 
  morphine has been identified in post-mortem toxicological tests, 
  its presence is a result of heroin use.

Health

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities currently issue guidelines to schools for the management of asthma.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The information requested is not held centrally. However I have established a working group of officials and other interested groups to produce good practice guidance on the administration of medicines in schools. Advice is also being prepared for Directors of Education on the respective roles and responsibilities of education authorities, Health Boards and NHS trusts on the administration of medicines in schools.

Health

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the report by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment on the human health implications of organophosphates will be published.

Susan Deacon: The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment is publishing its report today.

  This is a comprehensive report which addresses the concerns which have been expressed about the safety or organophosphate compounds. The statutory advisory committees, that is the Veterinary Products Committee, the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and the Committee on Safety of Medicines, have already been asked to consider urgently the implications of the report. Their advice will be published as soon as possible.

  I have arranged for copies of the COT Report to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will re-allocate resources dedicated to the Glasgow Housing Stock Transfer if the project is cancelled or delayed.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This would be a matter for decision by Ministers at the time, taking into account advice from the New Housing Partnerships Steering Group on the scope for re-allocating resources to other New Housing Partnerships projects.

Justice

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the Prime Minister on 25 October 1999 that the function of issuing warrants for the interception of communications or interference with property for national security purposes is to be transferred from the Secretary of State for Scotland to the Home Secretary, (a) what operational implications this will have for Scottish police forces and the Scottish criminal justice system and (b) what consultation took place with it, Scottish police forces and the Crown Office on this transfer of functions.

Mr Jim Wallace: Under the Scotland Act 1998, national security, interception of communications and the functions of the security and intelligence agencies are reserved matters. In recent years, the Secretary of State for Scotland has issued national security warrants for interception against targets in Scotland. However continuing this practice after devolution would have raised policy, legal and practical problems. It was therefore agreed that the Home Secretary should take on responsibility for issuing national security warrants against targets in Scotland. This is consistent with his overall responsibility for national security.

  These arrangements for issuing national security warrants will have no significant operational implications for the Scottish police or criminal justice system. The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and all relevant agencies and Government Departments were fully consulted on these arrangements.

  Orders in Council made under the Scotland Act empower Scottish Ministers to continue to issue interception or property warrants in relation to serious crime when the target is located in Scotland.

Justice

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, following the suspension of Scotland’s temporary sheriffs, whether a guarantee will be given that all of those charged with crimes of violence will have their cases brought to court satisfying the 110 day rule.

Lord Hardie: The recent decision of the High Court in the case of Starrs and Chalmers against the Procurator Fiscal at Linlithgow does not affect the preparation of cases for trial in the High Court or Sheriff Court.

  Steps have been taken to ensure that Judges and Sheriffs are available to hear timeously all such cases which are affected by the 110 day rule or the 40 day rule which affects summary custody cases.

Justice

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many recorded convictions there have been for trafficking in cannabis, amphetamines, heroin, ecstasy and cocaine in each of the last five years to date.

Angus MacKay: The number of people convicted in Scottish courts between 1993 and 1997 for drug trafficking is set out in the table below. Information on the type of drug involved in drug trafficking offences is not collected centrally, although it is estimated that about half of the offences related to cannabis.

  


Year 


1993 


1994 


1995 


1996 


1997 




Number convicted1

 

902 
  

1,177 
  

1,540  
  

1,614 
  



  

Drug trafficking has been taken to 
  mean those persons with a main charge proved for offences involving 
  illegal importation, production, manufacture, cultivation or the 
  supply or possession with intent to supply of drugs.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of prisoners currently serving sentences in Scottish jails have been sentenced as a result of being convicted for a drug related crime.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information in the exact form requested is not available because only the main crime or offence is recorded for prisoners convicted of more than one criminal act. Provisional figures show that sentenced prisoners whose main crime was a drugs offence represented 15% of the sentenced population in Scottish prisons on 30 June 1998.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish figures for each of the last two years for which figures are available showing what has been the average time between people being charged and tried for drug related offences for each Procurator Fiscal office in Scotland.

Lord Hardie: The information requested is not available in the format required.

Land

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it believes Scottish Enterprise should set to develop land to support the regeneration of areas of high unemployment and deprivation.

Henry McLeish: There are no national targets for the amount of land to be reclaimed for development in areas of high unemployment and deprivation. Relevant targets are instead set in terms of job creation outcomes. However Scottish Enterprise is currently developing a regeneration strategy which will ensure better linkages between land development and community regeneration.

  Scottish Enterprise is also targeting specific infrastructure development work in Social Inclusion Partnership areas (SIPs) and other disadvantaged areas to create jobs and community regeneration. Some of the key targets proposed for 2000-01 are:

  -an acceleration of the recycling of brownfield land by 150% of the 1999-2000 level;

  -an increase in the take-up of brownfield land by 25% of the 1999-2000 level;

  -infrastructure development in SIPs leading to 450 jobs, of which 225 will be for local people; and

  -infrastructure development in other areas leading to 50 jobs, of which 25 will be for local people.

Land

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what has been the rate of progress on the decontamination or treatment of contaminated land in each of the last three years in each local enterprise company area and, at the current rate of dealing with identified contaminated land in each area, how long it will take to decontaminate or treat currently identified contaminated land in each area.

Henry McLeish: The information required is not available in the form requested. Local Enterprise companies do not maintain records of the treatment of contaminated land separately from the reclamation of vacant and derelict land. The Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 1998 which is published in the Environmental Series of the Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin provides a breakdown of known contaminated land by Local Enterprise Company area for 1998. Copies of the Bulletin are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Planning

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it now has to provide easy access to St Giles Cathedral for wheelchair users.

Sarah Boyack: Following a public local inquiry, the Scottish Ministers accepted the Reporter’s recommendation that a planning application for wheelchair access at the west door of St Giles Cathedral be refused. This decision was intimated in the Scottish Executive Development Department’s letter of 10 September 1999. It is for the applicants to come forward with acceptable alternative proposals for wheelchair access.

  Significantly, Disability Scotland, which aims to be the national voice of the disabled movement in Scotland, are also in favour of an alternative point of access. In their view, alternative means of providing access for disabled people, most notably at the north door, would be reasonable access and would also provide a sociably acceptable, independent point of access into the cathedral, as well as being more acceptable in planning terms.

Poverty

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of poverty in relation to income in Scotland today and, within the terms of its definition, how many families, pensioners and children live in poverty in Scotland today.

Ms Wendy Alexander: As is described in detail in the Technical Document which accompanied Social Justice: a Scotland Where Everyone Matters , published on 22 November, we recognise a number of definitions of income poverty, covering relative, absolute and persistent low income.

  In future annual Social Justice reports we intend to use indicators that show the proportions of children, working age people and older people living in households with less than 50, 60 and 70% of median GB income and less than 50 and 60% of mean GB income, both before (BHC) and after (AHC) deduction of housing costs. We also intend to track the proportions of children, working age people and older people which fall below these levels of income each year with the levels fixed at their 1997-98 values in real terms; and to develop similar indicators to track persistent low income, based on the recently boosted Scottish sample in the British Household Panel Survey.

  The table below gives figures for these indicators of relative poverty, drawn from the 1997-98 Households Below Average Income dataset using the Family Resources Survey. Because these figures are taken from a sample survey they are subject to sampling error; the figures in brackets may be less reliable than the others because of technical factors.

  

 

% of Mean 
  


% of Median 
  




50% 


60% 


50% 


60% 


70% 




Children 
  

Before housing costs 
  

29% 
  

40% 
  

(14%) 
  

28% 
  

38% 
  



After housing costs 
  

32% 
  

41% 
  

(21%) 
  

30% 
  

40% 
  



Working-age people 
  

Before housing costs 
  

16% 
  

24% 
  

(8%) 
  

15% 
  

22% 
  



After housing costs 
  

18% 
  

25% 
  

(12%) 
  

17% 
  

23% 
  



Older people 
  

Before housing costs 
  

20% 
  

38% 
  

(11%) 
  

19% 
  

33% 
  



After housing costs 
  

27% 
  

40% 
  

(10%) 
  

25% 
  

37%

Rural Affairs

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has put in place to deal with responsibilities devolved under Parts I and II of the Plant Varieties Act 1997.

Ross Finnie: Functions relating to plant variety rights, which are governed by the Plant Varieties Act 1997, are dealt with on a UK basis by the Plant Variety Rights Office. This Office, the Controller of Plant Variety Rights and the Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal, which deals with infringement of rights, are specified as cross-border public authorities under The Scotland Act 1998 (Cross-Border Public Authorities) (Specification) Order 1999. Schedule 8 of The Scotland Act 1998 (Cross-Border Public Authorities) (Adaptation of Functions etc.) Order 1999 which modifies the 1997 Act provides for a Minister of the Crown to act jointly with, or with the consent of, Scottish Ministers in respect of functions previously exercised by the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Transport

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the last 70 miles of the A9 ending in Thurso.

Sarah Boyack: Improvements to Golspie Main Street have recently been completed at a cost of £500,000 and the £800,000 replacement of the Ord Bridge is nearing completion. Following my announcement of the outcome of the Strategic Roads Review on 4 November, consideration will be given to on-line improvements to improve the flow of traffic between Helmsdale and The Ord of Caithness. These improvements and others, in line with the Route Action Plan, will be implemented as resources permit.

Transport

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to S1W-1812 and S1W-1875 by Sarah Boyack on 18 October and 20 October 1999, whether it will undertake to collate the information requested centrally and make it publicly available and, if not, whether it will state the reasons why.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive has no plans to collect estimates of the total time lost because of congestion. The Executive believes policy and investment decisions should be informed by well-established techniques for predicting the amount of time that would be saved as a result of specific proposals, rather than using estimates of total time lost which rely on a comparison between actual traffic conditions and a hypothetical free flowing scenario.

Transport

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the establishment of a ferry service between Scotland and Europe from Rosyth.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive recognises the potential benefits of a viable ferry service between Scotland and Europe, where it strengthens Scotland’s trading links and contributes to the Government’s integrated transport policies. The Executive maintains contact with the agencies who are promoting a commercial ferry operation for a Rosyth to Europe service.

Whisky

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government that it should request that the European Commission implements the obligation to review the tax structures of alcoholic drinks every two years so that Scotch whisky suffers no discrimination as opposed to wine and beer.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive makes representations to Her Majesty’s Government on a range of issues of interest to the drinks industry in Scotland. The Executive welcomes the Commission’s recently announced intention to review the Bossard Report.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Finance

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will be giving consideration to the budgetary and service implications of holding meetings of the Parliament in Dundee during the period in May 2000 when the Church of Scotland will be using the Assembly Hall.

Sir David Steel: Under the Standing Orders, it is for the Parliamentary Bureau, rather than the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, to propose to the Parliament that a meeting of the Parliament shall be held in a place in Scotland other than in the Church of Scotland Assembly Hall, The Mound, Edinburgh. The Bureau, in making its recommendations to the Parliament, will take into account budgetary and other considerations. If the Parliament decides on a motion of the Parliamentary Bureau that a meeting of the Parliament should be held in another place in Scotland, including Dundee, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will be responsible for providing the necessary staff and services and will do so with an eye to maximising efficiency.

Security Staff

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many staff the Parliament’s full complement of security staff comprises; how many security staff have left since May 1999; what the reasons for security staff leaving were and, in particular, whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body considers that low wage levels, in comparison with security jobs in the private sector, are causing security staff to leave.

Sir David Steel: The full complement comprises 87 full time operational staff, 60 of whom are employed on a shift-rota system with the remainder on permanent day shift. All shifts are of eight hours duration. In addition, the Parliament Security Office employs six administrative staff.

  Since 1 May 1999, 18 operational staff have resigned for a variety of reasons: these include taking up full time study, relocation, securing employment matching qualifications, domestic circumstances and finding employment with higher remuneration.

  It is difficult to compare directly the salary levels of Parliament Security staff with security positions in the private sector because of the wide range and disparate nature of duties undertaken as well as the different terms and conditions of service which exist in the security industry. On a simple comparison of hourly rates of pay, the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body is aware that some sectors of the private security industry do have higher rates of remuneration. While the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body acknowledges that remuneration levels have been a factor in causing some staff to leave it also recognises that there have been other reasons.

  I take this opportunity to record the many grateful observations from members of the public about the helpfulness and courtesy of our security staff on duty.